Bas Rutten: “Machida doesn’t have a lot of weapons”

Mixed martial arts legend and co-host on Inside MMABas Rutten has backed Dan Henderson to defeat Lyoto Machida in Anaheim, CA at UFC 157, saying that Machida is short on tools and always does the same thing.

While reiterating that Machida does what he does very well, his evasiveness may fall into to the hands of Henderson’s legendary right-handed “H-Bomb”.

“Dan is the man’s man. Like any guy on the planet, they love Dan because he’s got a lot of heart and he always comes to fight,” Rutten told MMAInterviews.tv. “I always get emotional because he’s really that guy. That’s why I want to see him win and I think he has that chance because he knows when he lands that ‘H-bomb’, it’s goodnight.

“I’m gonna get a lot of heat now. Machida doesn’t have a lot of weapons. Whatever he does, he does really well. He’s got great distance, great accuracy, but his attack is always the same. It’s a cross, or a kick and a cross. When you push him, he always moves to the same side. So, if Dan would look at that and just bull-rush him, he could throw a big hand there and that could stop him.”

Rutten does have a point. Machida’s strategy tends to be none too flexible, though one could argue it is one of the most effective ‘one-dimensional’ strategies in MMA today, given that only “Shogun” Rua and Jon Jones (and Quinton Jackson to a lesser extent) have figured it out.

One must also stress that if Machida “doesn’t have a lot of weapons”, then the same must be said for his opponent on February 23, who has relied almost entirely on his right hand in his last few fights, which isn’t a bad thing by any stretch. If it works, why change it?

Expect a fascinating and exciting match-up between two would-be number one contenders for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship as Henderson faces Machida.

What tools Machida does have are extremely effective. Machida has dominated Tito, Rashad, Badar & Couture. All of them wrestlers. Terrible match up for a 42 year old Henderson coming off an injury & has fought in over a year. Will be interesting to see if his iron chin will keep him from getting ko’d.